Summer Empties! Repurchased or abandoned? Part 1

Summer is now a nice memory, winter is already knocking at the door. As the weather changes, also skincare products and routines should change.

So, which products are staying, and which ones are leaving? Let’s find out!

• Lumene Waterproof Eye & Lip Makeup Remover – REPURCHASED

What can I say? This is maybe my 10th used bottle. This makeup remover has been for at least a couple of years in my must-have list. It’s delicate but at the same time very efficient. You don’t need half a bottle to get waterproof makeup out and trust me, I use the strongest primers and most pigmented eyeshadows around! 😀 For those who don’t know, Lumene is a Finnish brand, which is gaining recognition abroad as well. If you are new to it, you might want to check it out!

Back to the makeup remover! It costs 6 to 9 euros per 100 ml, but it lasts a minimum 2/3 months (I use it every night) and it is often on sale, so when it’s time I always repurchase it. You can find it almost everywhere: Tokmanni, Sokos, Stockmann, Citymarket, all major beauty online stores, and Lumene’s own website (lumene.fi).

INCI list:

AQUA (WATER), ISOHEXADECANE, COCO-CAPRYLATE, PROPYLHEPTYL CAPRYLATE, HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) LEAF WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS (BILBERRY) FRUIT JUICE, PHENOXYETHANOL, PROPANEDIOL, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN.

As you can see, most of the ingredients are solvents and emollients. It contains Nordic Bilberry Water and it’s fragrance-free! 100% vegan, made in Finland, and can be used up to 12 months after opening.

So, to conclude this part, if you wear heavy makeup, this product could be a good help in your evening routine.

• Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 – NOT REPURCHASED…YET!

The next product comes directly from the USA! From one of the queens of skincare, if not THE QUEEN of skincare! Paula’s Choice <3 *applause*

If you know, you know. Paula’s Choice, or PC for the skincare fanatics, has seriously such a long list of A M A Z I N G products. And we can start right now, right here, from one of them. I have used the whole summer this hydrating fluid, which I alternated with La Roche-Posay Anti-Shine for the hottest days, to keep my shine at bay.

This leaves seriously NO WHITE CAST and it absorbs immediately. It’s light on the skin and perfect under make-up as well! I know, it feels too good to be true. As with every amazing thing, perfection has its cost. It’s for sure not the cheapest product, however, I assure you, it’s worth every penny. The travel size is 13 euros (15ml) and the normal size (60ml) is 39 euros. I usually purchase the travel version, because it’s much easier to keep it in my make-up bag and reapply wherever and whenever. I buy Paula’s Choice from Skincity’s website.

INCI list:

Avobenzone 2.0%, Octinoxate 7.50%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 2.0% (sunscreen actives).
Other Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin (hydration/skin-replenishing), Silica (absorbent), Dimethicone (hydration/texture enhancer), Tocopherol (vitamin E/antioxidant), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (antioxidant), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract (antioxidant), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (antioxidant), Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract (antioxidant), Peucedanum Graveolens (Dill) Extract (antioxidant), Sambucus Nigra (Black Elderberry) Fruit Extract (antioxidant), Avena Sativa (Oat) Bran Extract (skin-soothing), Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract (antioxidant), Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Fruit Extract (antioxidant), Hydrogenated Lecithin (skin-restoring), Titanium Dioxide (texture-enhancing), Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer (hydration), Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate (hydration/antioxidant), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (film-forming/suspending agent), Xanthan Gum (texture enhancer), Sodium Carbomer (texture enhancer), Benzyl Alcohol (preservative), Sodium Benzoate (stabilizer), Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Phenoxyethanol (preservative).

Sunscreen agents and GOOD STUFF ON TOP really make the difference. If you are worried about silica and dimethicone, well, as explained by the website, they’re just ingredients that help with texture and product absorption. Unless you are allergic to them, or they irritate your skin, there is nothing to be scared about 😃

I haven’t repurchased it yet, just because I will wait for next summer. It’s perfect and lightweight for hotter months, but too light for Finnish winters. Now I’m trying out different SPFs for colder months and fingers crossed I find something as good as this, just thicker.

• Emma S. Moisturising Eye Gel – IMMEDIATELY REPURCHASED

This is the first product I tried from Emma S. The brand is Swedish, founded by Emma S. Wiklund and can be found in every Kicks, plus Emma S’ own website. I purchased this eye gel when it was on sale at Kicks. I noticed it had good ingredients, especially caffeine so I was curious to try it out. It costs 19 euros for 15ml.

Many people are against eye creams, aka “expensive moisturizers”, but to me, they are and must be different. I want that caffeine. In my body and in my eye cream. My eyes’ skin is completely dissimilar from the rest of my face, so I need extra care for it: it’s dry, I have fine lines, and oh my, the puffiness when I wake up in the mornings! And caffeine should help with that.

The INCI list is pretty short and I really love it. No need for unnecessary extra.

INCI list:

Aqua, Betaine, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Carbomer, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Caffeine, Siloxanetriol Alginate, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide

We can find good old Glycerin, Caffeine for my puffiness, Siloxanetriol Alginate (moisturizing agent coming from water algae!), and some hyaluronic acid derivate as well. YAY! It’s alcohol-free and free from parabens, mineral oils and silicones. It’s also Vegan.

I have tried at least 15 eye creams in my life (and counting…), however, I feel that this has been the best one so far. Some gave me milia, some didn’t do anything AKA expensive moisturizers. Finally, this one seems to work! I keep it in my fridge so it wakes me up and depuffs my eyes in the morning! 😃

• Elivo Moisturizing Toner – NOT REPURCHASED

To be honest, I had big expectations from this toner. Elivo is a Finnish brand that can be found easily at Sokos and pharmacies. I found this moisturizing toner and a “normal” toner (UHM?) when shopping in Sokos Helsinki. I picked this moisturizing one because that’s what I wanted and still want to add to my thirsty skin. When I saw this on the shelf I got really excited: finally a vegan, Finnish moisturizing toner for 9 euros…and with such a good INCI! SHOOK!

INCI list:

Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Fructose, Urea, Niacinamide, Inositol, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Allantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, CI 47005, CI 61570

See? Everything looks really good and even some sunscreen agent at the bottom. Regarding the parfum, I haven’t noticed anything aggressive at all, barely scented I may say! Of course, if your skin gets easily ANGRY, stay away from this.

So, the ingredients are great, glycerin, panthenol, niacinamide etc…so why haven’t I repurchased it? To be frank, I used this for almost a month and I didn’t see ANY difference. Like…not at all. Considering it’s a moisturizing toner it should have at least slightly helped with moisture. But because I felt just like putting tap water on my skin, I didn’t even continue using it. I will probably find another purpose for this, maybe on the body or will give it to a friend 🙁 Such a disappointment!

💜 That’s all for today! Take care! 💜